The 20th EPP Annual Intercultural Dialogue with Churches and Religious Institutions was dedicated to the topic "From understanding to cooperation - Promoting interfaith encounters to meet global challenges."
It was said at the conference that religions must not be used to incite hatred and conflict out of political interests and it was concluded that there is no alternative to interreligious dialogue if we want reconciliation and a peaceful co-existence.
"Dialogue, the truth, justice and reconciliation," Croatian MEP Ivana Maletic (HDZ) said summing up Friday's discussion.
Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan Porfirije of Zagreb and Ljubljana said that the cause of the problems in the world and our region is man and that religious leaders have a greater responsibility for dialogue and peace than politicians.
"There is no alternative to dialogue," Porfirije said.
The conference was opened on Thursday with speeches by First Vice President of the European Parliament Mairead McGuinness and EPP President Joseph Daul, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and the head of the Croatian EPP delegation in the European Parliament, Dubravka Suica.
Religious leaders in the country participated in panel discussions including the Rabi of the Jewish Community in Zagreb, Mose Prelevic, the head of the Islamic Community in Croatia and Zagreb, Mufti Aziz ef. Hasanovic, Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan Porfirije and the Rector of the Croatian Catholic University, Zeljko Tanjic.